([July] 1940)

DC, 1939 Series
< Previous Issue |
Price
0.15 USD
Pages
100
On-sale Date
1940-07-03
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Detective Comics Inc.
Brand
A DC Publication
Editing
Whitney Ellsworth (uncredited)

Issue Notes

Copyright on title page:

Theme Buildings, mural and sculpture, copyright, New York World's Fair 1940, Inc. Entire contents copyright, 1940 by Detective Comics, Inc.

Editor credit from Craig Delich; we previously suggested Vin Sullivan.

The book Transmedia Archaeology: Storytelling in the Borderlines of Science Fiction (2014), by Carlos Scolari, Paolo Bertetti and Matthew Freeman states that "this particular comic book was only available at the World's Fair on 3 July 1940 - aka Superman Day." However, a house ad in Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #43 gave an on-sale date for this comic of August 2nd.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder; Superman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Jack Burnley
Inks
Jack Burnley
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]
Reprints

Indexer Notes

First published picture of Batman, Robin and Superman together.

Credits verified by Burnley.

Cover Thumbnail for New York World's Fair Comics (DC, 1939 series) #[2]
Edit cover
Cover gallery

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

blank page(s) / 1 page (report information)

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

New York World's Fair Comics 1940 (Table of Contents: 2)

credits, title page / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Creig Flessel
Inks
Creig Flessel
Colors
?
Letters
typeset
Characters
Uncle Sam
Reprints

Indexer Notes

title page

[Superman at the 1940 World's Fair] (Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils
Jack Burnley (signed as Joe Shuster)
Inks
Jack Burnley (signed as Joe Shuster)
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor; Lois Lane; Blackie Sarto (villain)
Synopsis
Lois and Clark are given an assignment to get the feminine slant of the new World's Fair, and overhear a plot by an international jewel thief to steal the Madras Emerald before it can be displayed at the Fair in the House of Jewels.
Reprints

[The War Games] (Table of Contents: 4)

Red, White and Blue / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Jerry Siegel
Pencils
Harry Lampert
Inks
Harry Lampert
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
adventure
Characters
Red Dugan; Whitey Smith; Blooey Blue; T. R. Tapley (President of Tapley Meat Company); Mr. Crabbe (villain, President of rival meat company); Guile (villain); Savage (villain)
Synopsis
Red, Whitey and Blooey investigate tainted beef that is being provided to the Army by contract.
Reprints

Hanko the Cowhand at the World's Fair (Table of Contents: 5)

Hanko the Cowhand / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Creig Flessel (signed)
Inks
Creig Flessel (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
humor
Characters
Hanko; Daisy
Synopsis
A series of mis-adventures at the Fair leads Daisy to take extreme measures!
Reprints

[Slam Bradley at the 1940 World's Fair] (Table of Contents: 6)

Slam Bradley / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils
Howard Sherman (signed)
Inks
Howard Sherman (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Howard Sherman (signed)
Genre
detective-mystery
Characters
Slam Bradley; Shorty Morgan; Miss Mason (Slam's secretary); Mike (Oceanic Hotel detective); Baron Severin (Ileana's uncle); Princess Ileana; un-named Count (villain); Grinald (villain); Andrea Rohr (villain)
Synopsis
A chance sighting of a mysterious yacht, while on the parachute jump, leads Slam and Shorty to help rescue the Princess of Robaria, who is in America to sign papers allowing her nation to sell the Robarian crown jewels.
Reprints

Zatara the Master Magician at the World's Fair (Table of Contents: 7)

Zatara, the Master Magician / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox
Pencils
Joe Sulman
Inks
Joe Sulman
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
adventure
Characters
Zatara; Buster Crabbe (swimmer, cameo); Slippery Jed (villain)
Synopsis
Zatara faces the challenge of rounding up a pair of pick pockets at the Fair, who use a fake murder to draw attention away from their activities.
Reprints

Fair Facts About the 1940 New York World's Fair (Table of Contents: 8)

text article / 4 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Rob Porter (signed as RP)
Inks
Rob Porter (signed as RP)
Colors
?
Letters
typeset
Genre
non-fiction
Characters
Father Knickerbocker
Synopsis
The theme for the 1940 Fair, "For Peace and Freedom", is discussed along with a brief look at the new atrractions to be found at the 1940 Fair.
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 9)

Silly Stuff / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff ?
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff
Inks
Henry Boltinoff
Colors
?
Letters
Henry Boltinoff
First Line of Dialogue or Text
I'll be finished with your razor in a moment, dear...
Genre
humor
Synopsis
Consists of five unrelated gag cartoons.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

Hour-Man at the World's Fair (Table of Contents: 10)

The Hourman / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Ken Fitch
Pencils
Bernard Baily (signed)
Inks
Bernard Baily (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Bernard Baily (signed)
Genre
superhero
Characters
The Hourman [Rex Tyler]; Mr. Bannerman; Gerald Rochester; Rose Rochester; un-named kidnappers (villains)
Synopsis
Rex Tyler is ordered by his employer at the Bannerman Laboratories to conduct some scientific experiments at the Fair and is invited to perform at a wealthy estate.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich. Oddity: Bannerman's name is spelled "Bannermain" in this story.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11)

Catnip / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
Fred Schwab
Pencils
Fred Schwab
Inks
Fred Schwab
Colors
?
Letters
Fred Schwab
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Meow!
Genre
anthropomorphic-funny animals
Characters
Catnip
Synopsis
Catnip helps the local dog pound round up stray dogs in return for free milk.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Credits corrected and letterer added by Craig Delich. Art credits formerly credited to Paul Gustavson.

At the World's Fair with Jim and Jane (Table of Contents: 12)

comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Creig Flessel
Inks
Creig Flessel
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Characters
Uncle George; Jim; Jane
Synopsis
Uncle George shows Jim and Jane the sights and exhibitions offered at the Fair.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Original title in the 1939 edition: "A Day at the World's Fair." Also, Flessel's byline removed for this printing.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13)

Speedin' Sam the Taxi Man / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
Paul Gustavson (signed as Gus)
Pencils
Paul Gustavson (signed as Gus)
Inks
Paul Gustavson (signed as Gus)
Colors
?
Letters
Paul Gustavson (signed as Gus)
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Left turn signal...
Genre
humor
Characters
Sam
Synopsis
Sam has a "run-in" with a Policeman.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

All Gustavson credits verified and courtesy of Terry Gustafson, son of Paul Gustavson.

The Sandman Goes to the World's Fair (Table of Contents: 14)

Sandman / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Gardner Fox
Pencils
Creig Flessel (see notes); Chad Grothkopf (signed as Chad)
Inks
Creig Flessel (see notes); Chad Grothkopf (signed as Chad)
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
superhero
Characters
The Sandman [Wesley Dodds]; Dian Belmont; D.A. Belmont; Aunt Agatha; Blackie Saunders (villain, cameo); "Slugger" Slade (villain); Butch (villain); un-named butler (villain)
Synopsis
Slugger Slade decides to retaliate against the District Attorney for his conviction by kidnapping Dian.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Per Keith Chandler, the figure of The Sandman which appears in the first panel of this story was taken from the first panel on page 2 of the Sandman story in Adventure Comics (DC, 1938 series) #50, credited to Creig Flessel.

[Landed Backwards] (Table of Contents: 15)

Fantastic Facts / cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
George Papp (signed as Geo Papp)
Inks
George Papp (signed as Geo Papp)
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
non-fiction
Characters
Colin Tapley
Synopsis
Four fantastic facts are featured, such as the fact the the Blue Danube is mostly yellow and that Colin Tapley landed an airplane backwards!
Reprints

[Johnny Thunderbolt at the World's Fair] (Table of Contents: 16)

Johnny Thunderbolt / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
John Wentworth
Pencils
Stan Asch
Inks
Stan Asch
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
superhero
Characters
Johnny Thunder; the Thunderbolt; Daisy Darling; un-named pickpocket (villain)
Synopsis
Johnny decides to treat Daisy to a day at the Fair, but his wallet is stolen aboard the subway, an act the pickpocket will regret for the rest of his life.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The Thunderbolt is colored yellow in this story.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 17)

Ginger Snap / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Bob Kane (signed)
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Bob Kane (signed)
Colors
?
Letters
Bob Kane (signed)
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Oh, Ginger, will you get me a dozen of the freshest eggs...
Genre
humor; children
Characters
Ginger Snap; Ginger's mother
Synopsis
Ginger's mom asks her to go to the grocery and get the freshest eggs possible. Unfortunately, they have hatched by the time she gets home!
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

Batman and Robin Visit the 1940 New York World's Fair (Table of Contents: 18)

Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Bill Finger
Pencils
Bob Kane (signed)
Inks
Bob Kane (signed); George Roussos (backgrounds)
Colors
?
Letters
?
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Mr. Travers (President of Travers Engineers); Ann (Vreekill's niece); Dr. Hugo Vreekill (villain, introduction, death); Joey (villain); Limpy (villain)
Synopsis
The destruction of the Great West River Bridge and the blackmail demand made to the Travers Engineering Corporation spur the Dynamic Duo to investigate the matter, and they uncover a terrifying plot masterminded by the evil Dr. Vreekill.
Reprints
Keywords
Batplane; Daily Herald; gas capsules; New York City; Perisphere; slingshot; Trylon

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 19)

blank page(s) / 1 page (report information)

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 20)

illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
? (various)
Inks
? (various)
Colors
?
Letters
typeset
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Presenting the greatest aggregation of top-flight adventure characters...
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Superman [Clark Kent]; the Hourman [Rex Tyler]; Red Dugan; Whitey White; Blooey Blue; Johnny Thunder; Slam Bradley; Zatara
Synopsis
Head-views of some of the characters featured in this issue.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Found on the back cover. Character names added by Craig Delich.

Editing
Issue at my.comics.org
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder; Superman
  2. 1. [no title indexed]
  3. 2. New York World's Fair Comics 1940
  4. 3. [Superman at the 1940 World's Fair]
    Superman
  5. 4. [The War Games]
    Red, White and Blue
  6. 5. Hanko the Cowhand at the World's Fair
    Hanko the Cowhand
  7. 6. [Slam Bradley at the 1940 World's Fair]
    Slam Bradley
  8. 7. Zatara the Master Magician at the World's Fair
    Zatara, the Master Magician
  9. 8. Fair Facts About the 1940 New York World's Fair
  10. 9. ["I'll be finished with your razor in a moment, dear..."]
    Silly Stuff
  11. 10. Hour-Man at the World's Fair
    The Hourman
  12. 11. ["Meow!"]
    Catnip
  13. 12. At the World's Fair with Jim and Jane
  14. 13. ["Left turn signal..."]
    Speedin' Sam the Taxi Man
  15. 14. The Sandman Goes to the World's Fair
    Sandman
  16. 15. [Landed Backwards]
    Fantastic Facts
  17. 16. [Johnny Thunderbolt at the World's Fair]
    Johnny Thunderbolt
  18. 17. ["Oh, Ginger, will you get me a dozen of the freshest eggs..."]
    Ginger Snap
  19. 18. Batman and Robin Visit the 1940 New York World's Fair
    Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder
  20. 19. [no title indexed]
  21. 20. ["Presenting the greatest aggregation of top-flight adventure characters..."]
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Keith Chandler
  • Pat Conolly
  • Steve Dasinger
  • Craig Delich
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Jan Roar Hansen
  • Matthew Head
  • Bob Hughes
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Per Sandell
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Daniel Thingvold
  • Jim Van Dore
If you believe any of this data to be incorrect, please let us know.
Cover thumbnails are used for identification purposes only. All rights to cover images reserved by the respective copyright holders.
Creative Commons License All portions of the Grand Comics Database™, except where noted otherwise, are copyrighted by the GCD and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). This includes but is not necessarily limited to our database schema and data distribution format.
The GCD Privacy Policy. The GCD Web Site code is licensed under the GNU General Public License.